822 PHVI96

Australian InternationalDevelopment AssistanceBureauand

Central Visayas Regional DevelopmentCouncil

CL~

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CENTRAL VISAYAS WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT

,CibraryIRC InternattonalWatarand Sanitation CentreTel.: +31 703068980Fax: +31 703589964

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN CVWSP

CaseStudy: A DevelopmentalStudyof Sta.Catalina,NegrosOriental

Norma YbaflezWID Specialist

c~.icjajc.

SINCLAIR KNIGHT MERZCoNSULTING ENGINEERS

in association with

DCCD Engineering Corporation

8 22—96—139 67

t -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER 2

THE REALITIES OF WOMEN’S CONDITIONS 2

CHAPTER 3

THE CENTRAL VISAYAS WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT (CVWSP) 3

3.1 Background 33.2 AIDAB Women in Development Policy - Women,

Equal Partners in Development 33.3 The Gender Strategy 33.4 Activities For Implementing the Gender Strategy 43.5 Integration of Gender Strategy in the Components 5

3.5.1 Communities 53.5.2 Infrastructure 63.5.3 Health 63.5.4 Planning and Monitoring 6

CHAPTER 4

THE DEVELOPMENTALSTUDY 7

4.1 Background 74.2 Objectives of the Study 74.3 Methodology 74.4 Setting of the Study 84.5 Women’s Attendance in Community Organizing Work 84.6 The Survey of Women Members 10

4.6.1 Profile of Respondents 104.6.2 Women’s Participation in the Different Stages of Organizing 104.6.3 Factors That Encouraged Women To Participate 144.6.4 Impact of Women’s Participation 15

4.7 The Survey on Barangay Leaders 194.7.1 Profile of the Respondents 194.7.2 Views About the Inclusion of Women in

Organizational Activities 1 94.7.3 Views of Women’s Participation in the CVWSP 204.7.4 Effects of Women’s Participation on the Community 214.7.5 Participation of Women in Community Activities 214.7.6 Economic Activities in the Community 214.7.7 Organization Within the Community 214.8 The Focus Group Discussions 22

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION 27

5.1 Women’s Participation in the Project 27

5.2 Effect of Women’s Participation 27

BIBLIOGRAPHY 29

- “~LlBRARYlRC) Box 93190, 2509 AD THE HAGUE

TeL: +31 70 30 689 80Fax: +31 70 35 89964

RCODE:0

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The role of women in water and sanitation projects has been delineated since the InternationalDrinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade from 1 980 to 1 990. It is placed within the contextof community participation.

There is hardly any doubt now as to the strategic role of women in water and sanitationprojects.Women are the major users of water in the household. As domestic managers, they dothe food preparation, washing family laundry, house cleaning, bathing the children, watering theplants, feeding the livestock, etc.. They decide how much water to collect, how to recycle usedwater and how to store water.

Women are the primary health care givers in the family in almost all societies of the world. It is thewoman who maintains the hygiene and is the first to deal with health problems at home. Theydecide what kind of food to produce or buy; thus, influencing the nutritional status of the family.They decide when and how to seek health care outside the home, choosing between traditional andmodern medicines. In the community, they transmit old and new health information through theirnetworks and influence fellow women in adopting new facilities or practices. Access therefore, toinformation on sanitation as well as resources for health care is an important concern for women.

Women are also the educators of children at home. They are generally the ones who guide childrenin hygiene and direct them in water collection, storage and use. They convey to their children theirown values and understanding of health issues. Women have special sanitation needs. Theimportance of their reproductive health can not be underestimated. In a state of poor hygiene,women become vulnerable to infections brought about by menstruation, childbirth and abortion.

Women generally assist in the water collection for home use. However, they would want to berelieved of this time consuming and hazardous task for other essential responsibilities like livelihoodactivities and child rearing. According to a report:

The pregnant women burns 16% of her daily caloric intake on gathering water,while the breastfeeding woman burns 44%. When food gathering, cultivating andwood gathering are added to water drawing, cumulative percentages for thepregnant woman becomes 25% and for the breastfeed,ng woman, 53%. When the30% required for metabolism is added, the breastfeeding woman is left with only1 7% of her daily calories to expend on other tasks, and the pregnant woman is leftwith 45%. (The Churchwoman, Winter, 1883-1984).

Women have expertise on their community’s physical and social environment. As a result of thegender division of labor, women tend to acquire experiences different from men. They can serveas informants on possible and suitable locations for water and sanitation facilities, availability andreliability of water sources and sanitary arrangements. They are also good informants on whoshould be trained for maintenance and management.

1

CHAPTER 2

THE REALITIES OF WOMEN’S CONDITIONS

Women’s participation in any development project, however, is dependent on their status in society,which in turn is conditioned by the socio-economic, political and cultural context. It is important fordevelopment planners to be familiar with women’s conditions so that role expectations can beconsistent with the realities.

The Philippine Country Report on Women, 1 986 - 1 995, prepared for the Fourth World Conferenceon Women by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, identified the followingcritical areas of concern for the Filipino women:

1. Inequality in the sharing of power and decision making at all levels;

2. Insufficient mechanisms at all levels to promote the advancement of women;

3. Lack of awareness of and commitmentto internationally and nationally recognized women’s

rights;

4. Poverty;

5. Inequality in women’s access to and participation in the definition of economic structuresand policies and the productive process itself;

6. Inequality in access to education, health, employment and other means to maximize

awareness of women’s rights and the use of their capacities;

7. Violence against women,

8. Effects on women of continuing national and international armed or other kinds of conflicts.

While no single development project hopes to completely change the status of women in thePhilippines, it is rather expected that every development project should contribute towards theimprovement of women’s status; otherwise project goals are not attained: Due to the importancethat women play in a water and sanitation project, this mandate becomes critical for the CentralVisayas Water and Sanitation Project (CVWSP).

2

CHAPTER 3

THE CENTRAL VISAYAS WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT (CVWSP)

3.1 Background

The CVWSP is a joint project of the Government of Australia and the Government of the Philippines.Its area of coverage includes 32 municipalities in the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental andSiquijor in Central Visayas. Its major objective is to improve the health of the rural communitiesof Region VII through the development of water and sanitation facilities.

The primary concern of the project is for the target communities to have sustainable water supplyand sanitation systems as well as to learn how to use these facilities to improve their hygiene andhealth. These facilities are constructed, managed, operated and maintained by the communities ina manner which allow them to attain self reliance.

The development of self reliant communities is attained through an approach which allowscommunity participation in all phases of the project. This means that men and women in thecommunities participate, from among other things, in the project orientation, identification of keyinformants, community needs assessments, community planning, preparation and ratification of theconstitution and by-laws, training of leaders and officers, health education, and in the construction,operation, maintenanceand management of water and sanitation facilities.

To be sure that both women and men in the communities get equal access to opportunities providedby the project, and in consideration of the subordinated status of women in the communities, aGender Strategy is integrated in the project components.

3.2 AIDAB Women in Development Policy - Women. Equal Partners in Development

Expanding the choices available to women by improving their education, health, and living andworking conditions is not only a humanitarian consideration - it is essential for economic and socialdevelopment. Female participation in the development process cannot be ignored or taken forgranted if development is to be equitable and sustainable.

Australia’s Women in Development (WID) policy focuses on the involvement and integration ofwomen in the development process. It recognises that an effective development cooperationprogram involved women at every stage of development assistance activities - from activity design,appraisal, implementation, and monitoring to evaluation and review.

A review of the WID policy was undertaken in 1992. As a result, Australia’s developmentcooperation program will put increased emphasis on women’s role as decision-makers and willsupport measures which aim to:

• ensure that women have a say in decision-making about aid activities to increase the aidprogram’s relevance to their needs and preferences;

• increase women’s direct participation in all aid activities to make these more effective• enhance women’s status through specific initiatives to remove systemic disadvantages and

cater for their specific need.

A WID Action Plan underpins the new policy and includes:

• development of a five year WID strategy for each element of the development cooperationprogram;

• development of at least one significant WID activity, involving women in design andimplementation, for each country program;

• emphasis on activities such as gender analysis training for staff as well as contractors• monitoring of program performance against WID indicators

3

3.3 The Gender Strategy

Initially, the Gender Strategy in CVWSP was implemented only in the Communities component. TheNGO CO Teams were assisted by the Provincial WID Resource Person in integrating genderconcerns in the community organizing work Later the program was expanded to include all othercomponents to achieve a more significant impact on women’s participation in the project.

The general objective of the Gender Strategy is to increase the participation of women and men inthe community in the planning, design, construction, hygienic use, operation and maintenance andmanagement of water supply and sanitation facilities.

The basic rationale is that in order to achieve this objective, men as well as women, must beinvolved in making the necessary changes in attitudes and daily activity patterns.

3.4 Activities For Implementing the Gender Strategy

The following activities were conducted to implement the Gender Strategy:7

(i) Orientation Workshop for NGOs and LGUs - Conducted at the beginning of the project, ahalf day session on gender awareness was part of the Workshop. The role of women inwater and sanitation projects was the primary focus.

(ii) Workshop on Participatory Rapid Rural Appraisal - Conducted during the first month of theproject, the issue of sex desegregated data and gender sensitive analysis of communityprofiles were introduced to the NGO Co Teams and LGU representatives.

(iii) Gender Analysis and Planning Workshop - NGO CO Teams, Rural Sanitary Inspectors,Project Engineers, and other LGU representatives deepened their gender sensitivity as theyanalyzed data collected from the communities and planned their strategies to involve womenand men in the different areas of the project. This was conducted on the third month of theproject.

(iv) Gender Sensitivity Sessions for User Groups - These were the formal and informal sessionscarried out by the Community Organizers in the course of their work. This was aimed atensuring that women themselves gain an understanding of their situation, effect changesin their attitudes and translate this into support and commitment to activities addressinggender issues in the planning, designing, implementation and management of the water andsanitation facilities.

(v) NGO CO Teams Review Workshop - Conducted during the 1 2th month of the project, oneof the areas reviewed was the participation of women in the project, including the methodsused to achieve that participation.

(vi) Gender Sensitivity Training for Community Leaders - One representative from each targetbarangay was trained to conduct basic gender sensitivity training for their respectiveorganization. Each trainor was provided a training kit at the end of the seminar.

(vii) On-going support and guidance by the WID Resource Person - These were the technicalinputs provided by the Consultant to the project implementors so that the Gender Strategycan be implemented more effectively.

4

3.5 Integration of Gender Strategy in the Components

The following were the means of integrating the Gender Strategy in the different Components:

3.5.1 Communities

(a) Social Investigation

• Collection of sex desegregated baseline data• Activity profile of men and women in their productive, reproductive and community

management roles;• Profile of men and women’s access to resources and control of benefits.

(b) Project Orientation

• Women and men representations in orientation meetings;• Gender issues as project theme.

(c) Core Group/Committees/Association Formation

• Equitable representation of women and men in the leadership structure;• Consideration of women’s work and time.

(d) Community Education

• Gender Sensitization of men and women• Advocacy for shared parenting• Consideration for women’s work in planning for project activities.

(e) Community Planning

• Consultation with women regarding location of water facility, reliability of traditionalwater sources and health and sanitation concerns.

(f) Formation of Water and Sanitation Organizations

• At least 30% are women members• Women as officers and in non-traditional roles.

3.5.2 Infrastructure

(a) Planning and Investigation

• Women’s difficulties considered in existing type of water facilities;• Women’s inputs in the inventory of water sources;• Percentage of women users of water facilities;

(b) Design

• Validation of data gathered on women users by technical personnel

• Design criteria consider women’s needs i.e. type and location of water facility.(c) Pre-Construction

• Desegregated data on skills inventory for construction requirements;• Pre-construction to include women.

5

(d) Construction

• Job openings for skilled and unskilled labor open to men and women;• Women as construction supervisors wherever possible.• Equitable compensation of men and women in construction work.

(e) Operation, Maintenance and Management of Water System

• Equitable opportunities for women in technical and management positions;• Equitable compensation of men and women hired for operation and maintenance

facilities.

3.5.3 Health

(a) Health Education

• Health messages should be gender-sensitive• Health education materials include focus on women’s health vis-a-vis water and

sanitation;• Training activities should ensure adequate women representation;• Health personnel involved in health education should undergo gender sensitivity

sessions;

(b) Latrine Construction

• Consultations with women users on recommended design of latrine;• Women’s representation in latrine construction training;• Women involved in actual latrine construction.

3.5.4 Planning and Monitoring

• Quantitative data on the gender mix in the training activities; membership/leadershipstructure in organizations should be included in the regular reports;

• Qualitative determination of extent of project resources channeled to women as partof post project evaluation.

• Qualitative data on observations on the differential impact on women and men ofproject activities, i.e., perception of enhanced status; increased time for personalneeds; better health, etc.

• Equitable access of women to trainings under the project.

6

CHAPTER 4

THE DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY

4.1 Background

The UNDP-World Bank, Gender Issues Sourcebook for the Water and Sanitation Sector, (1994)noted that there is already a rich collection of women’s experiences in water and sanitation projects.In the Philippines, however, there is still a dearth of this type of study. In fact, the InternationalTraining Network (ITN), Philippines, an agency concerned with the water and sanitation sector inthe Philippines, had only started to conduct a Gender Orientation Workshop in 1 993 “in responseto the heightened interest of participating institutions and affiliate members of the Network onwomen’s proactive involvement in water supply and sanitation programs and projects”. (ITNNewsletter, July.- Dec., 1993).The CVWSP Case Studies Project may still be the pioneering work in the documentation of women

experiences in the area of water and sanitation in the country.

4.2 Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of the case study:

1. To document the strategies used by community organizers in ensuring women’sparticipation in the community organizing work;

2. To look into the factors that encourage women in the community to participate incommunity organizing;

3. To come up with an analysis of women’s quantitative and qualitative participation in allstages of the community organizing work;

4. To determine the impact of women’s participation on their lives from the personal, familyand community levels based on the perception of the women participants and communityleaders;

5. To find out the problem areas in women’s participation based on the experiences of womenparticipants and document how these problems were addressed.

4.3 Methodology

The quantitative data on women’s participation is taken from their attendance in the differentactivities of the community organizing work. Their attendance is compared with those of the menand the activities where they participated more are identified and also compared with those of men.

The qualitative data are gathered from interviews of 32 key informants and 11 barangay officials.In addition, 2 focused group discussions involving 1 9 women members of organizations were alsoconducted. There is a total of 62 respondents in the study.

a. Key Informants’ Interviews - Three women and one barangay leader were interviewed ineach target barangay in Sta. Catalina, making a total of 43 respondents. The keyinformants were asked about the nature of their participation in the different activities ofthe community organizing work, what encouraged them to participate in the project, whatwere the reasons for failure to attend in some activities of the organizations, and what isthe impact of their participation on themselves, their families and their communities. Thebarangay leaders, on the other hand were asked their views on whether it is necessary toinclude women in organizational activities, their specific views of women’s involvement inthe CVWSP, and what are the effects of women’s participation in decision-making,economic activities and the organizations in the community.

7

b. Focused Group Discussions - Two focused group discussions were conducted involvingwomen representatives of 1 0 out of the 11 target barangays. The focused groupdiscussions were used to find out how the women participants perceive their participationin the community organizing work, what problems they encountered in their participation,as well as the mechanisms, if any, that they employed to address these problems. Theywere also asked of their perception on the impact of their participation on themselves, theirfamilies and their communities

4.4 Setting of the Study

Sta. Catalina is the fifth town to the south of Dumaguete City, with a distance of 94.1 2 kilometers.Its total population is 53,560, broken down into 21,134 males and 32,426 females. The labor forceis 10,555 with 16,068 coming from the agricultural sector and 787 from the industrial sector. Ithas an employment rate of 21 %. Unemployment and underemployment rates are placed at 63%and 15% respectively. The average annual income of its 10,040 households is P20,000. It isderived from salaries and wages (17%) and from farm income (60%)

The town has a total land area of 52,314 hectares used as follows: agricultural with 4 major crops,namely sugar cane, coconuts, rice and corn; residential; commercial-industrial; and forestal andpublic lands.

Sta. Catalina is a third class municipality which means that it has an annual income between 2.5- 3.5 millions.

There are a number of social, educational, health and economic institutions which have beenestablished by both NGOs and GOs. There are the Farmers Irrigators Association, SettlersAssociation, Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and Credit Cooperative Financing Services. It has agovernment hospital, 21 health centers, 23 private clinics, 4 high schools, 23 elementary schoolsand 2 recreation centers. A sugar central in the town was recently cited as the Most OutstandingFirm with Family Welfare Programs for 1 994 by the Department of Labor and Employment and theLabor Population Office.

Since the 1 980s, however, Sta. Catalina has been tagged as the “hotbed of insurgency in thenortheastern part of Negros Island” (Plowshare, Vol. 2 No. 8, Sept. 1992). Armed encountersbetween government troops and NPA guerrillas took place in Sta. Catalina. There were reports ofarson, looting, massacres or salvaging and bombing Today, it is still the home of the 336th PNP,57th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army.

Sta. Catalina has a total of 22 barangays, and eleven of these are covered by the CVWSP.Barangays under the CVWSP which are along the national highway are Alagilang, Cawitan,Mabuhay, and Poblacion. Those in the hinterlands are San Jose, Buenavista, Obat,Mansagumayon, Milagrosa, Caigangan, and Sto. Rosario

4.5 Women’s Attendance in Community Organizing Work

Data from eleven organizational activities were availed of and the attendance of women and menin these activities were taken. From the data gathered, there were more women than men whoattended in the following activities: project orientation, community group interview, ratification ofthe constitution and by-laws, election of officers, officers training, household unit representatives(HURs) traning organizational development traircing, pre-registration training and participatoryproject evaluation. Only in the core group training did men attend more than women. There wasan equal attendance of women and men in the community planning The ginder difference inattendance range from 40% more women in the HUR trainings to 2% more men in the core grouptraining. Total participation of women was placed at 58% and men’s participation at 42% or adifference of 1 6% in favor of women

8

Table 1 presents the gender participation in the Community Organizing Work in Sta. Catalina.Table I

GENDER PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING WORKSta. Catalina, Negros Oriental

CO Activity Total Part Men Part Women Part Gender Dif

ElectionOfficers

OfficersTraining

HURTraining

587100%

91100%

172100%

249100%

29100%

3443100%

24241%

4549%

5230%

8534%

724%

145642%

34 10259% 18%>women

46 151% 2%>women

120 6870% 40%>women

164 7966% 32%>’women

22 1576% 52%>women

1987 53158% 16%>women

It is interesting to note that while there were more women who attended the activities of thecommunity organizing work including the election of officers, their participation did not translateinto their election to the key positions in the organizations There were more male (68%) thanfemale (32%) Presidents and Vice Presidents. The women were elected to the traditional femalepositions of secretaries and treasurers, where they comprise 68% compared to 32% of men. Inthe over all total of officers, 57% were men and 43% women. This result is however, well abàvethe project goal of 30% women to be elected officers. It should be pointed out, however, thatthere were overwhelmingly more women (70%) Household Unit Representatives (HURs) comparedto men (30%). It is very likely that women were elected to this post because of their traditionalroles as primary health care givers at home. However, as HURs, women were trained not only inhealth education_but also in latrine construction. So thu ~articularrole allowed ~orrienià cross the

—_---_~_-_- ---~-~--

aemarcation line between what is women and men s work. This alone can be considered aliberation for women from the perception that they are good only for housework. Their participationin latrine Construction proved that they too can do construction work, which has traditionally been“men’s work”. There will be no reason now why women cannot participate in the construction ofthe water facilities.

ProjectOrientation

836100%

39647%

44053%

446%>women

CommunityGroup Interview

387100%

17345%

21455%

4110>women

CommunityPlanning

272100%

13650%

13650%

00

Core GroupTraining

112100%

5751%

5549%

22%>men

RatificationCons & Bylaws

395100%

1 5639%

23961%

8322%>women

313100%

10734%

Org. 0ev.Training

Pre = registerTraining

ParticipatoryEvaluation

TotalParticipation

20666%

10132%

9

Below is table 2 which presents the gender distribution of officers in the organizations.

Table 2 - Gender Distribution of Officers in11 Community OrganizationsSta. Catalina, Negros Oriental

President/Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Other Officers

Men Women Men Women Men Women

15

68%

7

32%

7

32%

15

68%

17

68%

8

32%

While this result can be considered a big feat for women in the organizations, this still shows thatwomen have to continue with the “struggle” until they can be perceived as fully fit to be electedto the top positions of organizations.

4.6 The Survey of Women Members

A survey involving 32 women members of the CVWSP organizations was conducted. They wereasked of the nature of their participation in the project activities, what problems did they encounterand how they addressed these problems. They were also asked on the impact of their participationon the self, the family and the community.

4.6.1 Profile of Respondents

Nine (9) of the respondents are between 20-30 years old, thirteen (13) are between 31-40 yearsold, seven (7) belong to the 41-50 years old bracket, while three (3) are between 50-55 years old.Among the respondents, only one (1) is a widow, three (3) are unmarried, while the remaining 28are married. Eight (8) of the respondents, including the unmarried ones, do not have children, whilethe rest have from 1 - 11 children The average number of children is four (4).

In terms of work, the majority (18) of the respondents claim to be homebased and did not specifytheir particular occupation. Four (4) are engaged in farming, four (4) in vending, two (2) work asteachers, two (2) others as day care workers, one is involved in a little business while another isinto swine-raising.

Five (5) of the women were able to finish a collegiate degree, while four (4) others also reached thecollege level. Most of the respondents (14) reached the secondary school level while seven (7)were able to reach the elementary grades. Two (2) did not indicate their educational attainment.

As regards their membership in the organization, ten (10) of the respondents hold the position ofBoard Member, three (3) as treasurer, two (2) as secretary, two (2) as vice-chair, one (1) each asPRO, auditor and member of the Education Committee. the remaining twelve are active membersof the organization.

4.6.2 Women’s Participation in the Different Stages of Organizing

The first stage of the organizing process was the community entry stage. Only 22 of therespondents admit having been present during this stage, while 10 did not participate. For thosewho participated, 1 5 claimed that their participation was satisfactory; while 2 said that theirs wereunsatisfactory because they merely observed and were not actively participating in the discussions.

:i~o

For those who were not able to join the community entry activities, the reasons they cited were thatthey were either busy at home, unaware of the activity or it was their husbands who attended theactivity.

However, the next stage which consists of the community orientation, was well attended, and isin fact, the third most attended activity in the community organizing process. Twenty-seven (27)of the respondents claim to have been involved in this activity and most of them describe theirparticipation as satisfactory. Still, five (5) of the respondents were not able to participate citing asreasons that: 1) a family member was sick at that time; 2) they were not aware of the activity;and 3) it was their husband who attended.

The next activity involved making the community profile wherein the members of the communitywere asked particular questions regarding the background of the community and other similar data.Asked whether they were actively involved in this activity, 25 women answered in the affirmative,while 7 said they were not involved. Of those who participated, 1 8 describe their participation assatisfactory; while three (3) said theirs appeared to be unsatisfactory because of their insufficientknowledge about the community history and other similar data.

Community planning was the next activity of the organizing process, and this was the second mostattended activity. Twenty-eight (28) of the women said they able to participate in the communityplanning activitie~swhere only four (4) missed out. Asked why they failed to participate in thecommunity planning activities, one said that she was sick at that time; while another said that shewas out of town. The two did not specify their reasons. The women were also asked whether inthe course of the planning, women’s needs were being considered. In particular, they cited thatthe water system as well as the toilets were designed for the convenience of the women. They alsosaid that women’s time allocation for meetings and child care services were considered.

As to the core-group training, only a little over half (18) of the total respondents were able toparticipate. Fourteen (14) said they were not at all involved in this activity. Among the reasonsfor those who were not involved were that:1) they were not chosen; 2)they were not availablebecause of other work; 3) a family member was sick; and 4) she had to attend to the child. Amongthose who participated, many claim that their participation may be described as satisfactory.Fifteen (1 5) said that they actively participated because they were to share their ideas and theywere involved in the discussions. Three (3) said they feel that they did not actively participate butwere simply observing and listening to the ideas of the other participants. One said that she wascontent with what the others were saying, Another said that she had reservations because she didnot have extensive experiences yet and might be criticized as being imprudent.

The next stage consisted of the formulation and ratification of the constitution and by-laws of theorganization. In the formulation of the constitution and by-laws, only 23 of the women said theywere involved, while the remaining 9 respondents said they did not participate in this particularactivity. Among those who did not participate, three (3) claimed that their reason was becausethey were not members of the education committee, two (2) said that a family was sick at thattime; while one (1) answered that she was not aware of the activity and the other that she hadother work to do.

As to the ratification of the constitution and by-laws, this was the most attended activity, whereinonly one (1) of the respondents was not able to attend. Her reason was that she was out of townat that time to attend to some important business.

The election of officers was also well-attended with 28 of the respondents saying they able toattend, and four (4) claiming that they were absent during that time. Among those who wereabsent, their reasons were either that a family member was sick at that time, or that they had toattend to other important work.

The next activity was leadership training. Of the 32 respondents, only eighteen (18) participatedin this activity. Of those who participated, 1 3 think that their participation was satisfactory whileonly one (1) believes that her involvement was insufficient The remaining fourteen (14) were notinvolved because 1) they were not officers of the organizations, 2) they had to stay home with thechildren; and 3) they had other work to do.

1].

In terms of attendance to meetings, the majority claimed to have attended most of theorganizational meetings. Only four (4) are confident that they have attended all of the meetings,while six (6) say that they attend meetings only sometimes. For those who regularly attend themeetings, they say that they always take mote of the regular meetings and already allot a time forthis. The others say that they attend meetings because they are interested and that it is importantto know what issues are being discussed. For those who have been absent, they said that this waseither because they had other work to do or they had to attend to pressing family concerns. Onesaid that she did not receive any communication regarding the meeting, perhaps because her houseis far and hardly accessible.

Asked to describe their participation in the meetings, nine (9) of the women said that they are activeparticipants in that they always share their ideas while four (4) claim to share their ideas onlyoccasionally. Five (5) believe that they are also actively participating because they join in thedeliberations, and two (2) said that they participate by asking questions and clarifying certainissues. A considerable number of the women (5) think that their participation is quite limitedbecause they merely observe and listen to the ideas being shared Two (2) admit that they are stillshy about voicing out their ideas, and would rather listen in the meantime.

The 32 respondents have unanimously agreed that indeed women’s views are accepted during themeetings. Many of the women think that this is probably because the women have confirmedthrough their experiences that their views are being respected. Others believe that it is because ofthe general attitude that everyone is free to voice out their opinions and ideas. Others attribute theacceptability of women’s views to the fact that women’s views are actually good and that they arefor the good of everyone. A few also think that there is also recognition that women’s views arenecessary and therefore should be encouraged.

Despite the apparently massive participation of the women respondents in the different stages ofthe organizing process, it is worthwhile to note that only seven (7) were actually involved in all thestages from community entry to leadership training activity. However, it is equally worthwhile tonote that based on their responses, the reasons for the women’s failure to participate in all of theother activities have largely been beyond their control or otherwise not intentional at all.

The table below presents the women participation in the different activities of the communityorganizing work and their perceptions of the quality of their participation.

Table 3. Women’s Participation in Activities andRemarks on their participation

Pariticipation/Activity No. Remarks No.

A. Community EntryYesNo

2210

Description of participationSatisfactoryUnsatisfactory

1 52

B. Community OrientationYesNo

275

Satisfactory 20

C. Community ProfilingYesNo

257

SatisfactoryUnsatisfactory

1 83

D. Community PlanningYesNo

284

What particular needs mettime for meetingsdesign for water systemdesign for latrines

?

Were women’s needstaken into consideration

Yes 28

12

Pariticipation/Activity No. Remarks No.

E. Core group trainingYes 18

14

Description of participationSatisfactory

F. Constitution & BylawsFormulation

YesNo

Why not?1 5 Still observing

Content with what othershave to say

Why not7not member of Ed. CornFamily sick

23 not aware9 had other work to do

RatificationYesNo

G. Election of OfficersYesNo

311

284

H. Leadership TrainingYesNo

I. MeetingsAllOftenSometimes

Are women’s views accepted ~

Other reasons why did notparticipate

had work to dofamily member sicknobody left at hometake care of childnot aware

Total women who participated in 7all activities

Why not?1 8 not an officer1 4 stay home with children

Why ?4 Interested22 Schedule always noted6 Had other things to do

Had family concernsImportant to know

32 Why?Women’s views respectedWomen’s ideas goodeveryone free say ideaswomen’s views necessary

No

Did you share your ideasYes 15No 3

13

4.6.3 Factors That Encouraged Women To Participate

The reasons that motivated the women to participate in the project are varied. Asked regardingthis, the top responses of the women pointed to their general concern for the barangay. For manyof the women (21), they were encouraged to join the project because of the project idea itself sinceit addresses not only the water problem but health and sanitation concerns of the community aswell. Ten (10) of the respondents also link this with their concern for the progress of theirbarangay. Five (5) say that they were motivated to participate in the project by their desire to helpothers and according to four (4) respondents, to interact with the other members of the community.

On the whole, these responses reflect a strong concern on the part of the respondents, for thegeneral welfare of their community, notwithstanding the fact that who else would benefit from theircommunity’s progress but themselves. Probing deeper however, it is not as simple as who benefits,but who are involved. These responses actually indicate that there is a conscious effort on the partof the community members to actively and collectively work to address community problems ratherthan to passively wait and rely on a few government authorities to act on their problems.

This strong concern is visible as well in the women’s responses that they are now more concernedabout barangay affairs as compared to before, when asked about changes in themselves as a resultof their participation in the project.

The other factors that encouraged women to participate in the project refer more to their personalmotivations and needs. Five (5) said that they wanted to improve themselves by adding to theirpersonal knowledge and skills; five (5) said that they wanted to join an organization; two (2)wanted to do other things outside of the house; while one (1) each said that she wanted to provethat women are not simply for the home and that women have a big role in the community. One(1) also claimed that it was her husband who encouraged her to join.

Table 4 below presents the factors that encouraged women to participate in the activities of the

CVWSP.

Table 4. Factors that Encouraged Women to Participate

Factor No.

1. Project idea - water/sanitation 212. For barangay progress 103. Wanted to help others 54. Add to what I know 55. Wanted to join an organization 56. Iteraction with others 47. To get out of the house 38. Women have a role 110. Husband encouraged me 1

4.6.4 Impact of Women’s Participation

On Self

In terms of work schedule, most of the women admit that there have been significant changes.Twenty-three (23) of the women admit that they are busier now, with 1 4 explicitly saying that theirparticipation in the project has led to additional work. Seven (7) however, indicate that they havelearned to adjust their time. Three (3) admit that there are occasions when they no longer havetime to attend to their responsibilities at home. On the other hand, three (3) of the respondentsbelieve that there are no significant changes in their work schedule since they have been involvedin the project.

14

For the women also, their participation in the project has led to important realizations aboutthemselves. Nine (9) of the respondents realized that they could contribute something to thecommunity which they had not otherwise thought of before. Seven (7) believe that theirparticipation has led to their self-improvement, referring to additional knowledge and skills.

Six (6) of the respondents also claimed that they are more confident about themselves now; whilefive (5) expressed that their exposure to the project has resulted in the realization that they, too,have rights as women.

Three (3) of the women were also proud of themselves especially because they were able to sharetheir ideas and views regarding the project; while two (2) were happy that they have proven tothemselves that women are not simply for the home.

On the other hand, four (4) of the women said that there have been no changes about theirperception of themselves since they joined the project.

In terms of new knowledge and skills, the respondents had plenty to share. The top response ofother women is that they have learned to interact with and understand the other members of thecommunity, and relatedly, that they have learned to cooperate in community concerns. This meansthat, for many of the members, they have learned to be more tolerant of each other’s weaknessesas well as eccentricities.

Beyond that however, it also means that the community members have started to bond and worktogether, disregarding personal differences in consideration of common and nobler goals.

This particular response is perhaps more greatly appreciated if one were to consider that prior tothe project, the communities had very few reasons to bond together, and especially for the women,this has been the first time that they are actively involved in a collective effort to addresscommunity concerns.

The women also said that they have learned much from their participation in the project especiallyin terms of organizational management and leadership skills, as well as speaking skills.

Other responses include learning more about health and sanitation, learning how to make bowlsand construct toilets and venturing into what are traditionally regarded as men’s work. A few ofthe women also said that they have learned new ideas from other women, and learned new skillsregarding home management.

As to the other effects on themselves brought about by their participation in the project, many ofthe women (11) also shared that they are now more concerned about their barangay than before.On the other hand, two (2) women responded that they have been able to attend seminars onlynow.

On Family

The women also report noticeable changes within their families. Many of the women claimed thattheir spouses are actually supportive of their efforts in that their husbands understand when theyhave to go out. For some of the women, they claim that their husbands now allow them to go out.

Two of the women have observed that their relationship with their husbands is on equal footingnow. Another two report that their family members have commented that because of their busyschedules, some of their responsibilities at home have not been attended to.

Two single respondents also reported that there have been changes within the home in that theynow help in housework. On the other hand, five (5) women claimed that there have been nochanges in the perception of other family members about them.

As a result of the changes, twenty five (25) of the women claimed that decisions at home are nowshared and that their views and suggestions carry more weight Three (3), two (2) of them single,

15

admitted that they are now actively participating in decision-making at hone. However, two (2) ofthe respondents still insist that the husband’s decision should befollowed.

There have also been changes in the dynamics of housework. Because the women are busier nowand have to attend to other concerns outside the home, there have been changes in the familymembers’ attitudes toward housework. According to 21 of the women, housework is now beingshared by the family members. Two (2) said that their husband now sometimes help in housework,while one (1) woman says that housework is divided only between herself and the children. Anunmarried respondent also shared that she now helps in the housework.

In reference to the married respondents, there have also been changes in their husbands’ perceptionof them. Among the changes reported are: 1) husband’s recognition that they too, have rights andcan contribute to the community as well; 2) that the wives are more understanding now; 3) thattheir husband’s have more respect for them now; and 4) that the women are more active now. Awoman also said that her husband now perceives her as a partner in the livelihood activities of thefamily.

One woman said that there have been no changes in her husband’s perception of her.

As to their children’s perception of them, eleven (11) of the women claim that their children lookat them with more respect and as more responsible. One (1) woman also commented that herchildren think that she is more understanding now On the other hand, one (1) woman reportedthat her children have perceived that she has less time for them now. Five (5) others think thatthere have been no significant changes in their children’s perception of them.

As to the changes in the other family members’ perception of them, seven (7) women think thatthey are looked upon with more respect; while two (2) others believe that other family membersnow believe them to have some worth. One (1) also reported that other family members perceiveher to be always attending seminars, without any elaboration whether this is positive or negative.Another woman says that other family members have begun to dislike the idea that she is awayfrom home much too often now.

On the Community

The women were also asked about the effects of their participation in the CVWSP on thecommunity. As regards changes in people’ perception of women, many of the respondentsanswered that people in the community now have realized that indeed women can contributesomething to the community. Nine (9) respondents think there is also an observation that womenare more involved now, with 11 respondents indicating that as a matter of fact, the women aremore active than the men.

Some of the respondents also believe that women are now being perceived as capable, and areactive in the decision-making processes of the community. The rights of women are also beingrecognized, as well as the idea that women are equal to men. Some also reported observations inthe community that women now are more confident about themselves One (1) woman claimedthat it is the women who guide the men into doing what is good.

Asked whether women are more active in the community now, all respondents answered aresounding yes. They attributed this occurrence not only to the fact that women are given theimportance, but also because they are given the opportunities to use their capacities. Add to thisthe fact that women are more active in the organizations than men.

Some also suggested that women are encouraged to be active participants in the communityprocesses because of positive discoveries about their capabilities like being able to do what istraditionally men’s work, as well as having ideas that men do not have. One (1) respondentespecially specified that women are more active now because of the CVWSP. However, anotherrespondent laments the fact that some women are still not involved in the project and that othersdo not attend meetings at all.

16

Apparently, all these have also resulted in changes in the way women now view their roles in thecommunity. For many of the women (17), they believe that they can really contribute somethingfor the good of the community, which one woman particularly referred to as “a big role”. Forothers, (14) they believe that women should be partners in the progress of the community as wellas leaders, which in the words of a respondent, means that women are not for decorative purposesonly. Some (5) also believe that they are no longer subordinate to the men, and that they have theirrights as women. A few think that there will be more significant changes in the dynamics in thecommunity especially that women have now been elected to barangay posts.

Table 5 below presents the impact of women’s participation on the self, family and community.

Table 5 - Impact of Women’s Participation

No.A. On Self

Work scheduleadditional work 1 4busier 9learned to adjust to schedule 7times when no time for housework 3none 3

Self-perceptioncan contribute to project 9self-improvement 7more confident in self 6

has rights/freedom 5able to share ideas 3not only for the home 2none 4

New knowledge/skillsunderstanding other membersorganizational leadership skills 8health and sanitation 4

cooperate in community 3construct latrines 3speaking skills 2new ideas 1home management 1men’s work 1

Changes in lifestylesconcerned about barangay now 11able to attend seminars 2none 5

B. On Family

Family’s perception of youhusband encourages 7family members understand 5husband now allows to attend meetings 5equal relations 2some housework undone 2helps in housework now 2none

17

Decision-makingshared 25actively participates 3husband decides 2

Houseworkshared 21husband sometimes helps 2shared with children 1helps in housework now 1

Husband’s perceptionhave rights/can contribute to community 5more understanding now 3respectable 2active 1help in livelihood 1busier now 1same 1

4.7 The Survey on Barangay Leaders

Eleven barangay leaders were involved in the survey. They were asked their views on whether itis necessary for women to be included in the organizational activities, particularly in theCVWSP, and the effects of this participation on the community.

4.7.1 Profile of the Respondents

Of the eleven (11) respondents, eight (8) are females while the remaining three (3) are males. Sixare between 40-50 years old, three (4) are above 50, while one (1) is below 30 years old.Six (6) served as barangay councillors, two (2) as barangay captains, and one (1) as a barangayhealth worker.

Their involvement in the CVWSP vary. Six are simply members of the organizations, two (2) areboard members, one (1) is the chairperson of the organization, another is a cluster leader,while another is with the monitoring and evaluation committee.

4.7.2 Views About the Inclusion of Women in Organizational Activities

All of the respondents agree that it is necessary for women to be involved in organizationalactivities. The reasons they cited could be grouped into. 1) the necessity of women’s participationin the development of the community; 2) the capability of women to be involved in such activities;and 3) the idea of giving women opportunities for development.

In particular, the respondents said that it is necessary for women to be involved in organizationalactivities not only because all organizations require women’s participation but also toallow the women to help the barangay since they are also concerned about the community’sdevelopment. Some respondents also believe that women should be given due importance, and thatthey should be educated to know that they have a right to be leaders in the community. Otherssaid that women can help run the organizations while another insists that it is, in fact, the womenwho make the organization work.

In terms of particular areas that women should participate in, four (4) respondents claim thatwomen should be involved in the particular tasks of cleaning the surroundings/sanitation orbeautification/planting flowers Another four (4) think women should also be active inorganizational management, particularly attendance to meetings, planning and running theorganizations.

18

Three (3) of the respondents also believe that women should also participate in the construction oflatrines. One respondent thinks that women should be involved in water concerns whileanother believes that they should be in education work.

Finally, one male respondent claimed that women should particularly take care of receiving visitors.

Among the respondents, it may not be surprising that two (2) males and one (1) female emphasizedwomen’s work in the household as the basis for women’s participation in the project; or that sincewomen do most of the work at home, they should therefore be involved. They were perhapsreferring to the project concept itself of addressing the basic concern of water and sanitation.However, it is comforting to note that there is a large number of the respondents who trustwomen’s capabilities in managing or participating in community activities.

In addition, it may be observed that while some women cite non-traditional areas of work as theareas where women should participate (i.e. the Construction of latrines) these are notmentioned by the men. In fact, one male especially indicated that part of women’s role in theorganization should include cleaning, planting flowers, and entertaining guests, over andabove running the organization.

Finally, the constant mention by the respondents that women should participate in the areas ofattendance of meetings and organizational planning is perhaps merely a confirmation of theirexperience on what women are already doing in the project.

4.7.3 Views of Women’s Participation in the CVWSP

According to many of the respondents, women have a big contribution to the project, especially inthe areas of cleaning, sanitation and beautification. This perhaps reflects so much oftheir association of women’s traditional roles at home with their roles in the project. One participantwent as far as saying that women’s participation is important to the project, and that this is butnatural for women because of the nature of sanitation. Another also said that the project has beento guide women in cleaning the household as well as the community, apart from other things thatwomen should do. Still another respondent indicated that women’s participation in the project hasbeen partly anchored on their hope to learn more about sanitation and health, as well as leadershipskills for the development of the family and the entire barangay.

Whether these views are indeed a reflection of how some people view the project as an extensionof women’s roles at home, the results have definitely been not for naught. The respondentsimmediately acknowledge that the participation of women has been a success especially in thesanitation and beautification of each household. According to some, their barangay has changedsignificantly because of this; and in addition, their participation has also helped the sanitation habitsof neighbors who are not even involved in the project.

The other side of the picture has been the acknowledgement of women’s empowerment as a resultof their participation in the project. According to some respondents, women have proventhemselves to be good managers of the program in sanitation, especially since they are the oneswho are actively involved.

Another respondent also praised the project and expressed her confidence that because the projectvalues women’s capabilities, the project will be successful. Another respondent alsoappreciated the fact that women are actively involved and commented that the community organizereven gives more to women.

One of the male respondents also believes that the project has provided opportunities for womento contribute their knowledge to the project and claimed that this is good. On the otherhand, another respondent believes that women can be good in running the CVWSP and is happyover the fact that women will learn to fix the water pump.

19

4.7.4 Effects of Women’s Participation on the Community

Based on the observations of the respondents regarding what the effects of women’s participationhave been on the community, it is clear that significant changes have taken place. Apparently,many of the respondents appear to be amazed at the changes, especially with the concurrentchanges in women’s attitudes.

Among the responses, some say that women are now actively participating in making decisionswithin the community and that their suggestions are being duly recognized. Some add that womenare being actively sought and consulted about community plans and decisions. According to onerespondent, women make decisions faster because planning is done immediately and there is alwayscooperation among the women. These are all perhaps the result of the general observation thatwomen’s capabilities are now being recognized by the community.

Some have also observed that women now are able to suggest or voice out their ideas and thatthey are being heard as a sector within the community. They claim that women’s voices arenot only heard but given importance as well.

Alongside this development of course, is the observation of some of the respondents that women’sneeds are also being addressed. Finally, some respondents, without much elaboration, have alsonoticed that women are more reliable leaders than men.

4.7.5 Participation of Women in Community Activities

In terms of women’s participation in community activities, the respondents also noticed severalchanges. According to their observations, more women are joining community activities now thancompared with before. In fact, they claim that more women are involved now than at the start ofthe project. This is specially visible during meetings, where it is the women who usually attend.

As a matter of fact, the high visibility of women has led to the rise of many women to becomecommunity leaders, some having been elected to the barangay council.

However, some also say that women are actively participating alongside the men. As aptly put bya respondent, with more people involved, the project will proceed faster.

4.7.6 Economic Activities in the Community

As regards economic activities in the community, most of the responses claimed that women arealso helping the men in livelihood activities. However, it is worthy to note one of therespondent’s observation that with the apparent self-improvement undergone by a lot of womenas a result of their participation in the project, some women now are learning to farm, to fermenttuba but are still actively venturing into other areas of what was otherwise traditionally regardedas men’s work.

4.7.7 Organization Within the Community

The general observation among the respondents is that women are active in all the organizationsin the community and that, as a matter of fact, more women than men work for and are involvedin the organizations because the women seem to be more enthusiastic and active. According tothem, this is a good opportunity for the women to prove their worth.

20

4.8 The Focus Group Discussions

Two focus group discussions involving 9 and 1 0 or a total of 1 9 women members of organizations,were conducted. They were made to discuss the nature of their participation in the communityorganizing work, the problems they encountered in their participation and how these problems wereaddressed. They were also asked their perception of the impact of their participation to the self,the family and the community.

The two focus group discussions are treated separately in the report.

Focus Group Discussion I

There were 10 participants in this group coming from five barangays, namely: San Jose,Buenavista, Mansagomayon, Caigangan and Obat.

• Profile of Participants

The majority of the participants belong to the middle-aged group with ages ranging from 34 - 43.Only two women fall outside of this group: one who is 25 years old and another who is 55 yearsold.

Six of the participants are married while one is a widow. The remaining two women are single, oneof whom is a single parent.

Except for one, all of the participants have children. The majority of them (6) have between 1 to5 children, while two have 8 and 9 children, respectively.

The common occupations of the women are farming, raising animals and backyard gardening. Twoare also engaged in laundry work and another in dressmaking.

Of the nine participants, one is a college graduate, four reached the high school level while thesame number finished only the elementary level.

In terms of their membership in organizations, all of the participants hold a particular position in theirrespective organizations. Two of the women are members of the Board of Directors, two hold theposition of president, the same number as vice-presidents, two as Health and Sanitation Committeemembers and one is a secretary.

Of those married, all their husbands are engaged in farming, and except for one, all of the husbandsare also involved in the CVWSP project.

• Participation in the Community Organizing Activities

In the community entry stage, eight out of the nine women said they participated in the activities.They said that both men and women were involved, although there were more men than women.

In the community orientation stage, all of the women were able to participate. Representatives fromBuenavista said that more women than men were involved in this stage, saying that women weremore interested than the men in this stage of the project. On the other hand, those from the otherbarangays claimed that men equalled women in attendance.

All of the women also claimed to have been active in the making of the community profile, both ininterviewing and in responding to questions In San Jose, more women were involved than menbecause the latter were working. In contrast, more men were involved in this stage in the barangayof Buenavista because, according to the participants, men knew more about the community historyand profile. Representatives from the three other barangays, however, admitted that theinvolvement of the men equaled that of the women in this particular activity.

21

In the community planning stage, the women said all of them were involved. Many of them claimedthat more women than men were involved in this aspect of the project largely because the menwere busy with their work.

All of the women also said that they were able to participate in the core-group training.Representatives from San Jose and Buenavista claimed that more women than men were involvedin this activity; while those from the other three barangays insist that both women and men hadabout equal attendance.

The making of the Constitution and By-laws, the participants said, was delegated to the EducationCommittee. Their ratification however, involved the entire organization. All of the participantsclaimed to have taken part in the ratification. Representatives from Buenavista asserted that morewomen than men were involved; while those from the other barangays claimed that participationof both women and men were about equal.

In the election of officers of the organization, the participants claimed that all of them were able toparticipate. They added that more women than men attended the election and yet this did notnecessarily translate into more women being elected as officers In Barangays San Jose and Obat,more male officials were elected, with the participants rationalizing that men are more responsibleleaders. In contrast, representatives from Buenavista and Mansagomayon disclaimed this andillustrated their example where more women than men were elected officers, while in Caigangan,there were about equal women and men officers.

During the latrine construction training, three barangays sent one male and one femalerepresentatives each, one barangay sent two female representatives, while the other barangay senttwo female and one male representatives. However, it was only the barangay of San Jose whichhad started the actual construction of the latrines. In their experience, more women than men wereinvolved in this phase. Women were involved in transporting sand and gravel, mixing these withcement and forming the bowls.

• Problems Encountered in Women’s Participation

Among the problems encountered by the women in their participation in the project wastransportation which hindered some of them. Participants from Mansagomayan said thattransportation available from their place is very limited with only one trip a day which is irregularin its schedule. Hence, the waiting time both for the transportation and for the other women alreadyin the meeting place causes delay. Some also indicated that the roads are very bad (especially thosefrom Buenavista) and in case of floods or heavy rains, mobility is very limited (especially those fromSan Jose who have to pass through a bridge).

Time allocation also causes some difficulty. Some women are kept at home due to housework orin times of emergency (like when a child is sick). Other women however, manage to adjust theirtime for housework by making up for lost time later in the day or week

Others have misgivings about some officers of the organizations wearing different hats, especiallybecause some are also barangay officials. Another raised the problem of attendance, saying thatthe same people attend meetings with hardly any new members. Still another participant disclosedthat some women were not allowed by their husbands to attend meetings.

The greatest block however, seems to spring from a traumatic experience of the people in generalin Sta. Catalina. A few years ago, their barangays and nearby villages were the center of activitiesof revolutionaries and sympathizers from the revolutionary leftist movement who brought with themtheir own consciousness-raising and development activities. In due time, the military was hot ontheir tracks and the people were left to witness the burning of their homes by the military as wellas the war between the revolutionaries and the military troops. Many of them were forced toevacuate.

This experience has instilled indiscriminate fear and distrust among the people that they practicallydistrust the entry of strangers into their communities. While others have gotten over the

22

experience, the sentiment of fear and distrust remains high among a considerable number. And thiswas palpable even among some of the participants in the focused group discussion.This distrust becomes one of the major hindrances to a collective and unified communityparticipation in the project. Notwithstanding, efforts are being made from the project staff as wellas those active in the organizations to explain the nature of the project and the benefits it wouldbring to them. The participants themselves agree that there is already much progress in this regard.Yet, they themselves cannot blame others who take longer in getting over the trauma of theirexperience.

• Factors that Encouraged Women to Participate

Most of the women were personally motivated to participate in the project. Some of them said thatthey were personally interested because of their positions as barangay leaders, others as healthworkers, and others simply because they wanted to help their communities. Others said thatparticipating in the project would mean added education for them.

• Effects of Women’s Participation

On themselves

The benefits brought by the project to the women were varied. Many of them realized that theyneed not necessarily be imprisoned at home doing housework only. In fact, they feel liberated fromthis by having other things to do and think about, while in the process, being able to help theircommunity In fact, one said that she considered herself an ordinary person before But in thecourse of the project, her leadership skills became acknowledged by the people in the communityto the extent that she was elected president of the organization -- something she had neverexpected in her life.

The women also feel more confident now in terms of speaking their minds and sharing indiscussions. They have also learned new skills and their knowledge about certain things has greatlyincreased.

One of the benefits about their participation in the project that seems to overwhelm them is gettingto know more people and developing friendships among the other women in the community.Apparently, the women have bonded together in the community to form an informal support groupsystem.

One woman also mentioned that her participation in the project gave her the opportunity to meetdistinguished people, referring to Ms. Sonia Roco, the senator’s wife.

On the Family

The women related that before, they used to fight a lot with their husbands. However, theirexposure to the seminars and trainings in the project have helped them to be more patient with eachother. They said that they have learned to adjust to each other. Some added that it is even theirhusbands who reminded them of the schedule of their meetings.Their children have also learned to understand what they are doing. They said that this is probably

so because what they learn from the project they also share with their families.

On the Community

According to the participants, women now are becoming more active in the community as they aregiven responsibilities. They also said that women’s opinions and ideas are respected and trustedThey supported this by saying that even the men immediately obey what the women say. This isalso evidenced by the fact that many women ran for seats in the May 11 barangay elections andmany of them also won.

23

Aside from these, women said that their participation in the project has also helped improve thesanitation habits of the people in the community, Even their neighbors who are not involved havebeen influenced, especially in cleaning their surroundings and in their cooking habits.

Focus Group Discussion II

In this second group discussion, the participants came from four barangays, namely: Alangilan,Cawitan, Mabuhay, and Milagrosa There were 9 members in the group.

• Profile of the Participants

This is a relatively young set of women since many of them were between 32 - 40 years old, onewas aged 53 years while the other was 58 years of age.

All of the participants are married. One had the most number of children in the group at five,another did not have any children at all, while the rest had between 2 - 4 children.

The women were engaged in animal raising, backyard gardening, small-scale vending, farming.Some were also employed by curling hair, another by dressmaking and still another as a day careworker.

The lowest educational attainment among the women was Grade 6 (3) while the highest was at thecollege level (3). Three others reached the high school level, while another did not indicate hereducational attainment.

Like the other Sta. Catalina group, all the participants in this focus group discussion were officersof their respective organizations Three were members of the Board of Directors, onewas the president, another the vice-president, two held the position of secretary while threebelonged to Committees.

The husbands of the women were also employed largely as farmers; others were in differentoccupations like carpentry, chain saw operation, fishing and military service Of these husbands,six were similarly involved in the CVWSP project while the rest were not.

• Participation in the Community Organizing Activities

Only three of the participants claimed to have attended the preliminary organizing activities duringthe community entry stage. Apparently, news of the project soon spread since at the later stageduring the community orientation, all the participants were able to join. All of the participants werealso able to join in the community profiling and community planning stage, with still a large number(9) able to participate in the water system designing aspect, while the same number were involvedin the latrine construction

Since participation in the core group training was by selection and not voluntary, only a few of theorganization’s members were involved However, five of the women claimed to have been presentduring the echo of this training to the organizations In addition, more women were able to join thelater leadership training.

The writing of the organizations’ constitutions and by-laws also involved only four of the women;similarly, their ratification involved only half of the participants.

In summarizing their participation in the project, the women claimed to have been active inattendance at meetings and seminars; mixing cement for and forming the toilet bowls; fetchingwater, sand and gravel for the latrine construction; giving notices to members regardingorganizational meetings; serving snacks during meetings and other activities; preparing the physicalarrangement for the meetings, and distributing available materials.

24

• Problems Encountered in their Participation

The greatest problem encountered by the women in their participation in the project has beenadjusting their time to attend to both responsibilities at home and organizational concerns. As ameans of coping with the increasing demand on themselves, the women have adjusted byrescheduling their time for doing housework. Instead of doing these at the regular time of the day,some have resorted to doing the laundry or other postponable work at night or at times when thereare no urgent organizational activities to attend to.

The other problem faced by the women pertains to other members of the organization who eithercreates intrigues among other members or those who distrust the organization. Their strategy inconfronting these includes ignoring those petty intrigues and at the same time adding more effortsto make the members understand the organizational context and rationale of the activities.

• Effects of their Participation

On Themselves

The women’s participation in the project has made a large impact on their time. They said that theirresponsibilities at home have increased and they seem to always be running out of time forhousework. Although they do adjust their time schedule, this does not obliterate the fact that theirtime available is the same while their concerns have been augmented. In fact, the women disclosedthat because they are so busy already, they no longer have the time to argue with their husbands

Their being busy with the project has also somehow strained their relationship with other relatives(siblings, in particular) who do not usually offer their help or even refuse to help during times ofexigent needs, like looking after their children.

On the other hand, the women do appreciate the opportunity to be able to go out of their homesand attend to concerns other than housework. They also greatly recognize the skills and knowledgethat they have learned out of their participation in the project. For one, the women said that theirshyness has been superseded by confidence in dealing with other people. Secondly, they have alsodeveloped organizational skills, for example, in managing organizations and dealing with membersof the organization Many claimed to have extended their patience in trying to understand andaccommodate the views and wishes of other members. They also said that they have learned toadjust their particular behaviors to adapt to the general interest.

The participants likewise claimed that they heartily welcome their knowledge of new skills,especially those technical ones which they never before imagined they could learn, like inconstruction work. They also value the new ideas they gathered from other members as well asfrom their trainors.

Perhaps, with their confidence supplemented with their new skills and knowledge, the participantsalso indicated that they are now more interested in politics.

Effects on the Family

From the experiences of the women, their husbands had been very cooperative in their efforts. Forone thing, arguments at home have been greatly reduced owing to the lack of time for the womento engage in them. However, the women were proud to say that their husband’s faith and beliefin their capabilities have significantly improved. Husbands no longer doubt that their wives are upto something suspicious.

In fact, their husbands are the ones who encourage them to join the meetings and even remindthem of their schedules. Some women said that they do not even have to ask permission from theirhusbands anymore.

25

Effect on the Community

According to the participants, women have become more active now in the community; and theyare especially visible during community meetings.

This has resulted in the community’s recognition of women’s capabilities. Some women wereelected to the leadership of other community organizations. In the field of politics, many womenwere recommended to run for the barangay elections, and many of them have won. In fact, thewomen observed that their are more women members in their barangay councils now.

26

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

5.1 Women’s Participation in the Project

Hence, in conclusion, the different stages of the organizing process involved both women and men.At most, the men could only equal the attendance of women; but in some cases, the women sur-passed the men. Only in cases where participation in the activity was reserved for a special group(writing of the constitution and by-laws for the Board of Directors; core group training for the coregroup; leadership training for the officers), are the women’s attendance markedly reduced.

However, the women’s great visibility in these stages in the community organizing process doesnot necessarily mean a strong overturn towards women in the development of the organizing ~process. A wide membership of women in an organization is not always congruent to a wide A

influence in the decision-making. The election of mostly male officers in some areas still indicatea traditional dependence upon stereotypical male characteristics for leadership in the organizations. ‘~~‘

This is a carry-over of an inherited conception that community affairs is a man’s domain, owing ~,

perhaps to the fact that many community organizations are still led by men. Yet, there are alsosignificant experiences in the project of women being elected to the leadership of the organizations. “~.L’~T~At best, one can see not a dominance of male leadership but more or less a balance of male and -

female leadership in the organizations involved in this study. ~?7 ~As can also be gathered from the women’s responses, even as the men occupy the top positionsin the organization, women remain a palpable influence in decision-making. From the data, thewomen have indicated that their voices are being heard during meetings and consultations. Thisinfluence may even arise as a necessity since, if one studies carefully the dynamics of theorganization, it is, in fact the women who implement these decisions and instigate the managementof the organizational activities.

It can also be seen from the results of this study that the participation of the women in the variousaspects of the community organizing work is characterized both by the women’s traditional rolesas well as their venturing into new roles not previously assigned to them.

Apparently, responsibilities like preparing for meetings, reminding members of meeting, servingsnacks during activities, receiving guests and the like, are extensions of wifely obligations at home.And yet, women have also ventured into non-traditional responsibilities like organizationalleadership, involvement in construction work, etc. Other previous experiences show that for womento actively take part in the decision-making of mixed organizations, is already a big achievement.Discounting the factor of possible necessity, this requires not only sufficient motivation andconfidence on the part of the women, but acceptance as well on the part of the men and the entirecommunity in general.

5.2 Effect of Women’s Participation

Indeed, the women’s participation in the project has led to their increased responsibilities, whichwould in turn, have an impact on their time allocation. For some women, this is resolved by moreparticipation of the husbands and children in housework. For others, the problem remains and theirmeans of coping would be to readjust their schedules. As already indicated earlier, their burdenincreases while their time available remains the same.

This problem causes serious considerations in terms of how to implement women’s projects withoutincrementing their original multi-burdened situation. At this point, the women’s interest in theproject is marked by a noble consideration and anticipation of the greater good for the community,i.e., water for the community However, in the final analysis, the longer the project takes in makingconcrete results, the heavier will be the burden on these women. In fact, this could even decimatewomen’s interest in the project.It may seem as a matter of analysis, that the women have long been accustomed to the idea of

27

carrying multiple roles and burdens that they would rather look at the many benefits the project hasgiven them, rather than the negative impact of the project on them. They put much value inparticular to the significant changes in their attitudes, their perceptions of themselves, as well asthe reception of society to their new image as women.

For many women, the realization that they are also useful outside the home has proved to be astunning experience. In fact, this has led to the increased confidence in themselves andopportunities for fulfilling their potential not only as wives but as persons, as leaders, and as activemembers of the community. While they do personally acknowledge this, they appeared a bitsurprised that their families and the entire community would acknowledge these as well.

The most significant indication of this has been the increased visibility of women in the community.The participant’s testimonies to the election of women in the leadership of communityorganizations, and even to the community’s political structure, is clearly an unexpected result ofchanges being effected by their active participation in the project.

For women who have always been relegated to the margins in the history of development efforts,the joy of even just having their presence felt in community meetings cannot be underscored. Andthat the women are now elected to barangay posts - a feat they solidly attribute to their increasingsignificance in the community because of their active participation in the organizing process of theCVWSP - is simply a phenomenon beyond words.

The monumental development of women being elected to barangay posts reveals two underlyingfactors: (1) the fact that women are being pushed out of the private world of their homes into thepublic world of the community; and (2) the community’s acceptance of women as leaders.

There have also been changes in family dynamics. As mentioned earlier, husbands have beengenerally receptive to the idea of their wife’s active participation in community affairs.In fact, they are the ones who encourage their wives to join the meetings. For many husbands, theirsupport is manifested in their willingness to take on some of their wives’ responsibilities at home.

In the general sense, all these sum up what women have in fact achieved out of their participationin the project: LIBERATION - liberation from the prison of housework; liberation from the largersociety’s traditional perception of them as fit only for the private sphere of the home but unfit forthe public sphere; liberation from their perceptions of themselves resulting from centuries ofsocialization to the female stereotype.

28

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Canadian Council for International Cooperation, MATCH International Center, “Two Halves Makea Whole”: Balancing Gender Relations in development”, August, 1991.

CVWSP Community Information Kit No. 5. “Taking Account of Gender Issues in Water andSanitation”, 1 993.

Conference for the Formulation of a Gender-Based Framework, (PCHRD), “Gender Based Framewrokfor Planning Projects”, 1991.

DAWN Foundation, Inc. “Terminal Report to the CVWSP”, 1994.

Longwe, Sara, H.,”Gender Awareness: The Missing Link in the Third World Development Projects”,1991

Moser, Caroline, O.,”Gender Planning in the Third World: Meeting Practical and Strategic GenderNeeds”, World Development. Vol. 17, No. 11, 1989.

Montibon-Auxilio, Marivir, “The Future is Bleak and the Sta. Catalina Folk Still Bleeds”, Plowshare,Vol. II, No.8, September, 1992.

National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, “The Philippine Country Report on Women,

1986- 1995., Manila Philippines.

The ITN Newsletter, “Women in Water and Sanitation”, Year 4, No. 2, July-Dec. 1993.

Ostergaard, Use, ed. “Gender and Development: A Practical Guide”, 1992.

UNDP-World Bank, “Gender Issues Sourcebook for the Water and Sanitation Project”, 1993.-7)

~ ~I1

29